He clapped. “Okay. Shall I give you a little while before the next course? Normally I’ll serve the sides now, but since we have some time before the next clients, we can wait a bit and serve the rest together. Some of the mains won’t be ready for a little bit yet—maybe ten or fifteen minutes.”

“That would be great,” she said.

“The longer the better.” Maddie nodded.

He excused himself, and she stood up to move around a little, hoping that would help her feel a little less like her entire body was ready to burst. Maddie joined her a moment later, and the two of them bent back and forth at the waist, chuckling slightly when they realized they were doing the same thing.

“You’d think we’d run a race, not eaten five pounds of food,” Maddie said.

“It felt like a marathon. I can tell you that. I’m literally sweating meatballs.”

“And after today, we have to turn around and do it again tomorrow,” Maddie said.

“What do you mean? I thought you said we were only trying the one caterer.”

Maddie curled her lips. “We have two bakeries lined up tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see.” She remembered, once again, that she wouldn’t be here. It was easy to forget that fact when the two of them were kissing or holding hands. Whether she flew out tonight or tomorrow, it didn’t matter. She should say something now, as the longer she waited, the worse her omission would seem. Of course, she could always lie and pretend she hadn’t known until the last minute, which, in a way, was true, as she wasn’t quite sure when she was flying, but that was a quibble. Lying by omission was one thing. Outright lying was another.

“Is something wrong?” Maddie asked, stepping closer, brow creased with concern. She held her hands out, and Ryann took them, sighing. Maddie pulled her closer.

“I have to tell you something,” she said into Maddie’s chest. She felt a little braver now, near to her and yet hidden, in a way.

“Hmm?” Maddie asked, her chin on top of her head. Her voice rumbled slightly, ticklish on her scalp.

“I don’t know how…that is, I don’t want to…”

“Let me guess,” Maddie said, the two of them still tucked together. “You’re married.”

“Ha! No.”

“You’re part of a crime family.”

She laughed again “No.”

“You’re wanted by the FBI for bank fraud.”

“Ha! No, again. Why do you think I’m a criminal?”

“You hate dogs and cats.”

This time Ryann stepped back and batted at her lightly. “No, and no. I don’t hate animals. I just…don’t get them.”

“What’s to get?”

She made a cutting gesture with both hands. “All of this is beside the point.”